South Africa vs Pakistan WTC Test series - Injured Keshav Maharaj and Wiaan Mulder included in South Africa squad

South Africa has gambled on fitness Keshav Maharaj And vian mulderAnd both were included in the Test squad to play Pakistan in the festive season.

Maharaj suffered a groin strain in the 11th hour during practice for the first ODI in Paarl on Tuesday and had to be removed from the team sheet just before the toss. He was scanned later on Wednesday causing left adductor strain Due to which he was out of the ODI series. He will return to his home in Durban for rehabilitation and will be re-evaluated before the first Test.

Left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder Senuran Muthusamy He is the only other spinner in the team, meaning if Maharaj is unavailable, South Africa may have to cast a net for reinforcements.

test coach Thank you Conrad He said that a decision on inclusion of any additional players in the team will be taken only after the scan results are received. “Based on its outcome, we will take necessary steps,” he said. “We’ll see how serious it is, whether it’s potentially just the first Test (he missed) or both Test matches. Once I get the scan results, I’ll be in a better position to change [or] Talk to other trainers and make your decision based on that.”

Given that the first Test will be at the seamer-friendly SuperSport Park in Centurion, it may not affect South Africa too much if Maharaj is not available for that game. The last time he played there was against India last year. South Africa moves forward at full speed and won.

Where they will miss him depends on the mindset, which suggests he will continue to be a part of the team. “Kesh is obviously one of the senior players in the team. He’s a great sounding board. He has a lot of experience and is a calming influence in the change room as well,” Conrad said. “And he’s an excellent spinner. Him, KG [Kagiso Rabada] And thankfully we found Marco [Jansen] Back – they really are the triumvirate who will ensure that we get most of the 20 wickets we need to win the Test match.”

Rabada and Johnson are both currently fit and part of the ODI squad to play against Pakistan, but South Africa have a quartet of other injured fast players who could not be considered. Lungi Ngidi (hip), Gerald Coetzee (groin), Nandre Berger (low back stress fracture) and Lizaad Williams (knee) are out until next year, meaning a lot depends on Mulder’s fitness. .

He broke his right middle finger while batting against Sri Lanka in Durban last month and is in the final stages of his recovery. If he is found fit for the Boxing Day match, the top-order batsman Matthew Britzke Will be released from the squad.

Mulder will have another scan on Thursday morning to check his progress, and is described in a Cricket South Africa press release as being in the final stages of recovery. “He’s started hitting balls and doing some work with Kruger [van Wyk, fielding coach] In Pretoria,” Conrad said. “I wouldn’t get ahead of myself in terms of where he is now. We will see what the scan reveals and then we will obviously take it very conservatively. We will not make any foolish moves and will not allow him to take immediate action if he is not fully ready yet. But this decision will be taken almost exclusively when we meet together next week.”

As for cover bowling, there are two uncapped players in the mix: seam bowlers Corbin Bosch And quena mafakaBosch, son of former international Tertius, has earned his first international call-up. He recently featured for the South African Invitational XI against the England Lions and took 1 for 21 from five overs and has a first-class batting average of over 40. “Corbin Bosch adds a lot to our attack. On the highway, we need a little bit of pace and Corbin provides that. [SuperSport Park] If he gets a chance to play, this is his home ground. And he is in top form. He’s been performing well domestically,” Conrad said. “He did really well against the English Lions last week, which I managed to get a glimpse of. He’s matured a lot since I last saw him [national] Worked with me in the academy a few years ago and he has become a really good cricketer.”

Mafaka was called into the team that played against Sri Lanka as cover for Coetzee when he was injured but did not play. He is currently part of the ODI team playing against Pakistan, but is yet to make his debut in the format. Seven other Test players are also in the 50-over playing group: captain Temba Bavuma, Tony De Zorzi, Jansen, Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton, Rabada and Maharaj. Rabada and Johnson both played the opening games but are unlikely to feature in all three matches as South Africa manage their bowling resources.

South Africa will have a three-day turnaround between the end of the ODIs and the start of the Tests, leaving no time for warm-up matches and only two practice sessions, which Conrad is happy with. “Teams prepare differently these days. Gone are the days of practice matches. Those who are not in the ODI squad will play in the Titans vs The Warriors (domestic first-class) game. Whatever our preparation, it is going quite well. And we’re really looking forward to playing at Centurion, it’s a ground where we play particularly well and the guys know the conditions well.”

In the last ten years, South Africa has lost only one Test to India at SuperSport Park in 2021. They need one more win to ensure a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final and need two Tests to achieve it. They will face Pakistan at SuperSport Park on Boxing Day and then at Newlands for the annual New Year Test.

South Africa team for test against Pakistan

Temba Bavuma (captain), David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Matthew Britzke, Tony De Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Mafaka, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Dane Patterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verin (wicketkeeper)

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